Valving machine



06f. l, R. CAR'HER 2,216,563

VALVING MACHINE Filed Nov. 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l l I I' n I| 54.. I' l Il .54 1

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,1' q. :,g; l I l ,50 ff "1'.' 1 l l? ,'I' I LIONEL. R CARTIER ATTORNEY 0d. L 1'940- I.. R. CARTIER VALVING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2v Filed Nov. 21. 195s INVENTOR LIONEL R CARTIER BY 3.3!/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 1, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y 2.2115563 VALVING MACHINE Y ILionel R. Cartier, OFallon, Ill. Application November 21, 1938, Serial No. 241,718

' 1 claim. (c1. 265-25) This invention relates generally to valving machines and more specifically to an improved machine for applying valves to oxygen and gas cylind-ersl and like containers, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a 'machine of such improved and unique construction and arrangement that the application of excessive rotative force to valves of oxygen cylinders and the like when said valves are being screwed into a seated condition in the heads of the cylinders is avoided.

As is generally known by persons familiar with such matters, the valves of oxygen and gas cylinders, and other similar containers, include l5 screwthreaded shanks whichv are screwedy into screwthreaded openings formed in the heads of the cylinders and containers so as to properly associate the valves with the cylinders and containers. In the past considerable diiculty has Z0 been experienced because of the absence of any efcient means for indicating to a person applying the valves to the cylinders or containers precisely when the proper and required rotative force had been applied to properly seat the valves. In other words; when valves were applied by hand by a person of great-strength he frequently applied an excessive amount of rotativeforce to the valves and thereby rendered it possible that damage might be done to the valves or to the screwthreaded openings in which they were seated. Also when valves were applied to cylinders and containers by persons of less than normal strength the rotative force employed was often insufcient to properly seat the valves.

The improved machine disclosed herein includes indicating means which is actuated in respouse to the torque produced when a valve is being screwed into its seated condition, and when the indicating means indicates the attainment 4U of a predetermined torque in the valving operation the operator will know that the valve has been properly seated with respect to the cylinder or container. Thus the disadvantages incident to the methods formerly followed are entirely elimirespect to its associated cylinder or container is assured.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved ma- 50. chine,a part thereof being broken away and another part being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horiontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. l f

nated and the proper seating of each valve withl Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section taken 5 on line 6-6 of Fig. 5. v

In the drawings, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely,"one embodiment of the invention, A designates the improved machine generally. The machine A includes a base 10` l which supports four upright standards 2, said standards being of hollow formation as shown in Fig. 4 and being suitably secured to the ba'Se l. Supported by the upright standards 2 for verl. tical sliding movement with respect thereto is I5 a plate 3, said plate being provided with openy ings through which the standards extend and having secured thereto at the openings mentioned guiding members 4 which embrace the standards and serve to guide the plate 3 when it 2'0` is adjusted longitudinally of the standards as will be presently explained herein.

In order to accomplish the vertical adjustment of the plate 3 relative to the standards 2 said plate has formed thereon, or affixed thereto, a i5 vertically disposed sleeve 5 (Figs. 1 and 2) having a vertically extended screwthreadv opening formed therethrough. Extended through the screwthreaded opening of the sleeve 5 is an externally screwthreaded rod 6 which is suitably 0- supported by one of the standards 2 so that it may be rotated about its axis without vertical movement of the rod. Adjacent to the lower end of the rod 6 a hand wheel 1 is provided, said hand wheel being supported by a gear housing' 3'5 for rotary movement and the gear housing enclosing gearing (not shown) through which rotary movement of the hand wheel 1 is transmitted to the rod 6. The gear housing 8 is suitably fixed to one of the standards 2 and obviously .10 when the hand wheel l is rotated with resultant rotation of the rod 6, the coacting screwthreads on` said rod and within the sleeve 5 will cause the plate 3 to be moved upwardly or downwardly relativeV to the standards 2 depending on the direction of rotation of the hand wheel.

Mounted on the plate 3 is an electric motor 9 of the reversing type the drive shaft 9 of which extends downwardly through an opening I0 formed through the plate 3. At its lower end the shaft 9 of the motor 9 has fixed thereto for rotation therewith a head Il, said head being provided with a cavity l2 (Fig. 6) which is openlat the bottom of the head. Extended through the cavity vI2 is a rod I3 which is supported for ro- 55 Cil tation by bearing portions I4 disposed at opposite ends of the cavity I2, the rod I3 being provided with right-hand and left-hand screwthreads and having an operating element I5 fixed thereto at an end thereof. Mounted on the screwthreaded portions of the rod I3 is apair of jaws I6, the upper portions of which are slidingly disposed within the cavity I2, and obviously the jaws I5 may be adjusted toward and from each other by rotating the rod I3.

rlhe motor 8 includes a base I1 (Fig. 5) which is disposed in parallelism with respect to the plate 3 and interposed between the motor base and the plate 3 in raceways provided therefor are ball bearings I8 which provide under certain circumstances for free rotation of the motor with respect to said plate. In order to guide the motor during such rotation arcuate guide members I9 are provided, these guide members being secured to the plate 3 and being extended upwardly into embracing relation with respect to the outwardly extended, marginal portion of the motor base. The extended marginal portion of the motor base has secured thereto an outwardly extended arm 2i! which at its outer end is provided with a slot 20.

Associated with the outer end portion of the arm 20 is a coupling device which is made up of a pair of bifurcated members 2l and 22, the legs of the bifurcated member 2| being disposed in overlapping relation with respect to the legs of the bifurcated member 22 and the outer end portion of the arm 20 being interposed between said legs of said bifurcated member 22 as shown to the best advantage in Figs. 1 and 5. In order to attach together the outer end portion of the arm 20 and the bifurcated members 2I and 22 a bolt 23 is extended through openings formed through the legs of said bifurcated members and through the slot 20' of the arm 2U as shown clearly in Fig. 5.

Attached to and extended from the bifurcated member 2| is a piston 24 and attached to and extended from the bifurcated member 22 is a similar piston 25, the piston 24 being extended into a cylinder 25 and the piston 25 being extended into a cylinder 21. The cylinders 26 and 21 are secured to the plate 3 through the instrumentality of suitable brackets 28 and said cylinders are provided with packing boxes 29 in order to provide for a fluid-tight t around the pistons. The cylinders 26 and 21 are adapted to receive oil or other suitable uid and associated with each of said cylinders is a reservoir 3D for the uid medium which assures a suiiicient supply of the fluid medium within the associated cylinder at all times, the reservoirs being connected to the cylinders by conductors 3l in which suitable inlet valves 32 are arranged which permit passage of fluid in one direction only; that is to the cylinders. Also leading from each cylinder is a by-pass line 33 which extends around the inlet valve 32 associated with the cylinder and communicates with the associated conductor 3| beyond the inlet valve, or, in other words at a point between the inlet valve and the reservoir. Each of the by-pass lines is provided with a valve 34 which serves to control passage of uid therethrough. Extending from and communicating with the by-pass lines 33 are conductors 35 which lead to torque gages that are mounted on a suitable support 38, the torque gage associated with the cylinder 26 being designated by the reference character 31 and the torque gage associated with the cylinder 21 being designated by the reference character 38. It is to be noted that the conductors 35 are connected into the by-pass lines at points between the cylinders and the valves 34 so that the associated cylinders and gages are in communication with each other at all times. Also extended upwardly from each cylinder and arranged in communication with the interior thereof is a conductor 39 which is provided at its upper end with a suitable air dome 39.

In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings the reference character B designates a cylinder, or other container, which is provided with a removable valve C of the type the present invention is adapted to apply and remove. In order to hold the container B in its proper position when being operated on by the machine a holding mechanism 4U is employed. The holding mechanism 40 comprises a shiftable unit 4I which is supported for sliding movement by a base element 42 which forms a part of the base I of the machine. The shiftable element is provided with an elongated screwthreaded opening 43 into which a screwthreaded rod 44 is extended, said rod being supported for rotary movement by an upstanding lug 45 which forms a part of the base element 42 and being provided with a hand Wheel 46 for rotating the rod. Obviously rotation of the rod 44 will cause the shoftable element to be moved longitudinally of the base element 42.

The shiftable element 4I includes an upright plate portion 4I on which horizontal webs 41 are formed and these webs are provided with V- shaped recesses 41 in which the container B is seated as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In order to secure the container B to the shiftable element 4I oi the container holding mechanism 40 a chain 48 is employed. One end of the chain is engaged by spaced hooks 49 which are formed on the upright portion 4I' of the shiftable element, and the opposite end of said chain is connected to a T- shaped member 50 as shown in Fig. 1. The T- shaped member 50 is attached to the piston rods of a pair of pistons 5I, said pistons being arranged for reciprocatory movement in cylinders 52 to Which air or other uid is conducted by conductors such as that designated by the reference character 53 in Fig. 3. In attaching the container B to the shiftable element of the container holding mechanism the one end of the chain is caused to engage the hooks 49 whereupon fluid is introduced into the cylinders 52 to move the pistons 5| rearwardly and thereby tighten the chain about the container and hold the chain in such tightened condition as long as the required fluid pressure is maintained within the cylinders 52.

In the operation of the machine disclosed herein the plate 3 with the motor mounted thereon is elevated to permit the container B to be introduced in place in the machine. In connection with the vertical adjustment of the plate 3 it is to be noted that a weight 53 is arranged within each of the hollow, upright, standards, and a flexible element 54, which operates over a sheave 55 located at the upper end of the standard, is attached to the weight and is connected to the plate 3 so as to counterbalance the weight of the plate 3 and the parts supported thereby. When the container to be valved has been properly positioned for the valving operation by adjustment of the shiftable element of the container holding mechanism, and has been secured to the container holding mechanism 40 as previously explained, the valve engaging jaws I6 are separated by rotating the rod I3. The plate 3 is then lowered to its proper position and the jaws I6 are adjusted inwardly to tightly engage flat faces of the valve, said valve having been previouslygiven a preliminary start in the screwthreaded valve opening in the head of the container. The switch 56 of the motor is then operated to set the motor in operation with the result that the shaft 9' of the motor, together with the head I I attached thereto and the associated jaws, will be rotated to screw the valve to its seated position. While the valve is being screwed toward its seated position the fluid pressure within the cylinders 26 and 21 will prevent rotation of the motor 9 with respect to the plate 3. However as the valve closely approaches its seated position resistance to the rotation of the valve is set up by the seating of the valve and the torque produced by such resistance causes the motor to rotate slightly relative to the plate 3. Rotation of the motor as described causes the piston 25 to be moved into the cylinder 21 and because the valve 34 associated with said cylinder is closed at this time the fluid within the by-pass line 33 and conductor 35 is placed under pressure whereby the indicator nger of the gage 38 is caused to swing. When the gage 38 shows that a predetermined torque has been produced the operator is advised that the proper rotative force has been applied to the valve to properly seat same and the motor is cut 01T. When the motor is cut oi the torque is relieved and increased pressure within the cylinder 21 will restore the piston 25 and the motor to their normal positions.

When a valve is being removed from a container the jaws I6 are caused to engage the valve as previously explained and the motor switch 51 is actuated which causes the motor to be operated in the reverse direction. In the valve removing operation torque is produced at the commencement of the operation which is indicated on the gage 31 and such indication advises the operator as to the force required to unseat the valve. In other words this indication shows whether or not an excessive force was employed to seat the valve originally. In removing a valve from a container the rotation of the motor shaft 9 together with the head I I and the jaws I6 unscrews the valves from the screwthreaded valve opening of the container in an obvious manner.

From the foregoing it is plain that the unit of which the cylinder 21 and the gage 38 form parts is the valve seating unit, while the unit of which the cylinder 25 and the gage 31 form parts is the valve unseating unit. When a valve is being seated with the aid of the machine the valve 34 associated with the cylinder 21 is closed while the valve 34 associated with the cylinder 26 is open. Likewise when a valve removing loperation is being performed by the machine the valve 36 associated with the cylinder 25 is closed and the valve 35 associated with the cylinder 21 is open. The purpose of the air domes 39' is to provide a cushioning effect when the uid within the cylinders` 25 and 21 and within the conductors associated therewith is placed under pressure during operation of the machine.

- While the description of the device refers specifically to the seating and unseating of valves having left-hand screwthreads, the device obviously may be employed in seating or unseating valves having either left-hand screwthreads or right-hand screwthreads.

I claim:

A valving machine comprising valve-engaging means, a reversible motor for rotating said valveengaging means, a support on which said motor is mounted for rotary movement as a unit in either direction, and a pair of indicating units operated by fluid pressure and actuated in response to rotary movement of said motor resulting from torque produced when a valve is seated or unseated for indicating through operation of one or the other indicating unit the rotative force required to seat or unseat the valve, said pair of indicating units including a pair of uid cylinders, pistons adapted to be moved by rotation of the motor inwardly of said cylinders so as to place fluid within the cylinders under pressure, and pressure-indicating gages arranged in communication with said cylinders, the iuid pressure which serves to operate said indicating units acting also to normally resist rotary movement of said motor.

LIONEL R. CARTIER. 

